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“Marriage though, dad? How can they force a personal commitment on me? Do they have some poor woman standing on the sidelines, ready to do their bidding?”
“Knowing your mother, I’m sure Alice has someone in mind, but this is why I’m telling you before we go in. Be prepared, son. Lie and say you have someone in mind that you’ve been seeing, just to appease them. If they want you to settle down, you give them your word that you will.”
“I’m not seeing anyone. Who would be crazy enough to jump into a marriage with me just because I don’t want my mother to choose my wife?”
“You’re telling me you can’t find a woman to marry you, son? Have you lost your edge?”
I crack a grin. “Of course not, but this is marriage we’re talking about. Death do us part and all that.”
“Doesn’t have to be. Find a smart, trustworthy woman and make a deal. That’s what you do, Archer. Just do it on your terms, or your mother will saddle you with a gold-digging Stepford wife you won’t be able to separate from without losing everything in the divorce.”
“Are you talking from experience here, dad?”
He gives me a knowing look but only lets out a deep sigh in response. My parents have never been an affectionate couple, and I’ve always suspected it was a marriage of business, not pleasure, but I don’t pour salt on the obvious wound.
I rub my jaw thinking about all the pages of women in my little black book, but they are all women who have taken turns using me for my cock and wallet without caring about anything deeper. A business relationship of this magnitude needs a special kind of woman. Someone smart, trustworthy, and most importantly, someone my mother would hate.
Before I can come up with a name, Tracy’s voice comes over the speaker and announces my meeting is in ten minutes. Dad and I make our way to the conference room, and I pretend not to notice that every passing person is gossiping about me. Whispers and snickers echo through the hall until we’re pushing through the doors, and I come face to face with the firing squad of six men and four women, who all look at me with disappointment on their faces. These are the same men and women who usually worship me and eat up every word I say. For the first time in my career, I feel the seriousness of my poor choices.
“Archer, please come in and have a seat,” Francis commands as I enter the room.
Swallowing hard, I do as I’m told and spend the next hour listening to them lecture me on my actions and how I’m making my company a joke. I was costing them money. I agree and apologize, knowing that I cannot explain my way out of this one. Finally, they get to the marriage subject.
“We didn’t want to force you into something so drastic, but we feel that this is in everyone’s best interest. We believe that marriage will be good for both your image and the Company’s,” Estelle explains.
I so badly want to call them out for being victims of my mother, but that would fall back on my father. He tried to help me, and I won’t throw him under the bus, even if that means eating crow.
“I agree,” I say, looking around at each board member. “You’ll be pleased to know that I’ve started seeing someone. We were not involved when those terrible pictures were taken, and she’s also disappointed by my past actions. I plan on asking for her hand if she’ll have me.”
“That’s wonderful news, Archer. Please believe me when I say I couldn’t be happier for you. What is the young lady's name?” Estelle practically swoons.
“Willow,” I say without a single thought to the matter. I never considered her for marriage at all until this moment, but she might actually be perfect. If I can convince her.
“She must be something special to have tamed you, San Diego’s bad boy billionaire,” Karen says with a cunning smile as she reads the nickname of the magazine.
It’s not the first time I’ve heard this name, but I still find it inaccurate. Of course, I don’t argue. I simply smile and nod at the board, and just like that, Willow and I are invited to a fundraising event this weekend so they can meet my future bride. This short timeline puts boulders of anxiety in my stomach. I shake the board member’s hands and continue with my day, all the while Willow is at the forefront of my mind. That was a hasty decision, but I can’t back away from it now.
When I return to my office, I call Chuck, the man who ran the card game last night. I’ve got to get my girl.
